Spat-type protector



Feb. 10, 1959 J. c. FINEGAN SPATTYPE PROTECTOR Filed Aug. a, 1956 MVEMTO Qjc: med Ckavl J United States Patent "ice SPAT-TYPE PROTECTOR James Charles Finegan, Danville, ill, assignor to Jess A. Brewer, Danvilie, Ill.

Application August 8, 1956, criai No. 602,815

v2 Claims. (Cl. 36-2) Protective wearing apparel for industrial use must afford protection in two major ways. First, shock protection is required where the worker is apt to be sharply struck, as by a falling object. Secondly, covering protection is needed to guard against spilling or splattering of corrosive fluids, molten metal, or the like. It has been found that the workers foot is particularly vulnerable to shock injury and that the gap beneath a mans protective pants or leggings exposes the ankle and foot and requires covering protection.

It is an object of the invention to provide a singleunit spat-like protector of duckbill design to be worn over regular clothing that provides both covering and shock protection to the wearers foot and ankle. It is a further object to provide a protector of the above type that is easily adjustable to snugly fit the foot and ankle of the wearer. It is a further object to provide a foot protector unit which not only provides greater protection but which is more comfortable than prior devices of this type.

It is a more detailed object to provide a protector of the above character that is efiectively strong and durable, but that is of simple, light and sturdy construction that will assure a long life in heavy-duty use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the attached detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a protector constructed according to the invention being worn on a persons foot and ankle.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of a person wearing the protector shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the protector shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 44 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 55 in Fig. 3. a

While the invention will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that I do not intend to limit the invention to that embodiment but, on the contrary, intend to cover such alternative embodiments and constructions as may be included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Turning first to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a protector 1t constructed according to the invention being worn over a workers foot and around his ankle. It can be seen that the protector covers the upper portion of the shoe 11 and surrounds the lower portion of the pants leg 12 which is gathered in at the ankle. Safety apparel for this part of the body should perform the double function of affording covering protection for the shoe and ankle and providing shock protection for the upper part of the foot.

In accordance with the present invention the protector comprises a duckbill shaped foot-covering portion and a pliable cult that can be wrapped around the ankle, the

bill.

2,872,745 Patented Feb. to, 1959 foot-covering portion carrying an integral shock resistingguard which is positioned above the foot when the protector is in place. In the preferred embodiment the foot-covering portion comprises a bill 20 of tough flexible leather. Secured to the top of the bill 20 is a cuff 21 that is an open single piece of pliable leather of su'fficient length to enable the cult to be completely wrapped about the ankle of the wearer. The bill 20 and the cuff 21 are cut and fitted so that the protector smoothly fits the foot and ankle which are substantially at right angles to each other. To securely unite the bill 20 and the cufl 21, the cuff is sewn to the bill and the stitched seam 39 is reinforced by a series of staples inserted at intervals of approximately one inch. The cuff 2i. overlaps the bill 20 on the outer or top side of the bill, as can be seen in Figs. 2 and 3, so that dangerous fluid material may flow smoothly off of the protector. if the cuff overlapped on the under side of the bill, an upwardly directed gap or ridge would be formed that would tend to collect and retain such fluid permitting it to attack the protector and seep between the seam joining the cuff 21 and the hill 2%. A guard 22 is secured beneath the bill Zti and its substantial rigidity serves to support the bill in its duckbill configuration.

To enable the guard 22 to protect the foot from shock it is formed of two layers. The upper layer is a hard, moulded-fiber shield 23, about of an inch thick, and the lower layer is a relatively thick cushioning pad 24 of foam rubber or the like. The shield 23 serves to distribute the force of a blow which is absorbed by the pad 24 so that the guard is able to protect the metatarsal region of the foot against a severe shock. The bill 20, shield 23 and pad 24 are united in a single, multiplelayered assembly by means of rivets 40. To prevent the rivets from tearing or puncturing the normally weak pad 24, the pad is anchored in place by means of two leather strips 41. The strips are positioned along each edge of pad 24 and the rivets 40 pass through the ends of the strips thereby forming an inner anchoring layer at the points of riveting. The strips 41 thus secure the soft pad 24 without compressing and destroying its usefulness, so that it will not tear loose with hard usage.

In order to hold the protector firmly in place two adjustable buckles 26 are provided on the cuff 21 and an adjustable strap 27 is carried by the bill 20. The buckles 26 are of a well known type comprising a pivotable hook 28 and a multiple slotted hook receiver 29. The pivoted hooks may be placed in any one of the multiple slots so as to draw the cuff 21 snugly about the ankle. The strap 27 comprises a short length 3i) having an ordinary buckle at its end, secured to one side of the bill 20 and a long length 31 secured to the opposite side of the bill and having a series of spaced holes to cooperate with the buckle. The strap lengths 30, 31 are each secured to the bill 20 by means of a snap fastener of the type well known in the apparel industry. These devices will withstand considerable tension in the strap when the force is exerted parallel to the surface of the' bill 20 but permit easy detachment of the strap by exerting force normal to the surface of the bill. This arrangement permits an individual worker to adjust the strap 27 to the proper length for his foot and then enables him to secure or release the strap by snapping either end of the strap onto or off of the bill 20.

To adjust the bill 20 to the upper curve of the wearers foot the moulded fiber shield 23 which imparts rigidity to the bill and guard assembly is capable of bending resiliently when pressure is exerted transversely of the The shield 23 is moulded to assume a more gentle arch than the largest shoe size would define over a foot and therefore the lower edges of the bill and guard assembly would, "if unrestrained, extend outwardly from ...each .side.o.the..shoe tll vas showndniigr 4, However, when the strap 27 is tightened, the bill and guard assembly is drawn into a more pronounced archand closely hugs thEPShOG .11 so that the pad 2.4 isiuniformly-supported andthusmbleto dissipate any.shockloads-incuned.

. Itcanthustbe seen that aisingle unitprotectonhasbeen provided.whichsmoothly:fits the right-angled body mem- ..bers comprising,v the foot and. ankle. ---l doreover,-the protectorhasbeen. provided with athree-layer-protective -assemb1y,.-- each .layer .of..*.vhich .performsan important protecting function. #:The outer layer; billfltl-aserves to cover gtlzebody portion. and guard-againstcorrosive -or v-- molterrflying partieles and also permits .theassembly to .besecured inplace. 'tz'lheintermediate layer, shielda23, distributesathe: fiorcerof sudden nshockhwhile the inner .glayer padi24, cushions-the blow. and enables .theentire assembly to be comfortably-worn.

Thet-protector is comfortahleiforfthe wearer since it-is light, coolandfiexible. zfhepad cushions .the bill 20 on the foot as a ,furtheraidto comforgas welliasperforming the protective function referred. to previously.

I claim as my invention:

1. A foot. andanklelprotector comprising a bill of tough leather havinga .-fducl\'bill configuration adapted to v closely overlie. and cover-a wearer-s feet, a cuff of ,pliablc leathersecuredto:the. top of saidibill andvangled therefrom so that thecufif maybesmeothlynwrappcd about. the wearers anklewhen thebill overlies the foot, 21 sh och resistant. guardfasterted .to the underside .of said bilhnaid gu lJ co-mprising.a hank-shield.adjacent said bill. nd a ck cnshioningdayer undensaid shield-and means to secure saidbill, shield.arid-cushioning layer in a unitary. assembly said meansineluding.astripofwugh pliable material underlying said cushio-ning layervand a p urality; of fastenings extending gthrougheandidrawing ftogether said hill, .Sltield,cushioningtlayer-andstrip.

2. A foot and ankle protector comprising an elongated that it arches transverselyt pf the length thereof and closely overlies and covers completely the forward portion of the wearers feet, a cult" of pliable leather secured to the top of said bill and angled therefrom so that the cuff may be smoothly Wrapped about the wearers ankle when the bill overlies the forward portion of the Wearers foot, adjustable buckles carried by said cuff-to secure the cult? in place, a shock resistant guard of a size substantially that ofwthe forward-portion ofsaid billand'l'astened to the underside thereof, said guard comprising a hard shield underlying-;. saidbill a nd a thick gipg lay-eig underlying said shield, a strap adapted to best ured to opposite sides of said bill and to extend across the open bottom of the arch formed thereby and to pass beneath the foot of the wearer, and means to detachably and adjustably secure said strap at one end to one side of said bill and .todetachably-secure the otherend of said strap to the other: side oi said bill. 

